The present application claims the priority of the commonly owned copending German patent application Serial No. 100 25 848.4 filed May 25, 2000. The disclosure of the above-referenced German patent application, as well as that of each US and foreign patent and patent application identified in the specification of the present application, is incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates to improvements in apparatus for and in methods of manipulating commodities which constitute facilities for storage of webs or strips of sheet material, such as paper, lightweight cardboard, metallic foil, plastic foil or the like. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in methods of and in apparatus for manipulating reels, bobbins or analogous devices for temporary storage of convoluted webs or strips of paper, cardboard, metallic foil, plastic foil or other wrapping material, particularly a material which can be utilized in connection with the making and processing (such as packing) of cigarettes, filter rod sections or other smokers"" products.
It is customary to stack substantial numbers of bobbins or reels containing supplies of convoluted webs or strips of cigarette paper, uniting band paper, wrapping paper or the like at a machine which is utilized to convert the convoluted webs or strips (hereinafter called webs) into discrete blanks or into tubular envelopes for rod-like fillers of tobacco, filter material for tobacco smoke or the like. In many instances, the stacks of reels or bobbins (hereinafter called bobbins) are stored in the form of superimposed horizontal layers wherein the axes of the cores of bobbins extend vertically or substantially vertically. Neighboring layers of bobbins are often separated from each other by sheets of paper or the like. Apparatus for transferring successive fresh bobbins from the stack to a bobbin receiver of the making, packing or other web processing machine must be capable of changing the orientation of the bobbin during transfer between the stack and the machine because, in many or most instances, the receiver of the machine is positioned to support a bobbin in such orientation that the axis of the core of the bobbin which is ready to pay out the convoluted web is horizontal. This holds true for cigarette making, filter cigarette making, cigarette packing and many other types of machines which employ webs of paper or paper-like material.
German patent No. 40 41 865 discloses an apparatus which can change the orientation of the axis of a bobbin from vertical to horizontal during transport from a stack of bobbins (e.g., on a pallet) to a receiver for discrete bobbins. A drawback of the patented apparatus is that it takes up a substantial amount of space if used in a cigarette making and/or processing (such as tipping or packing) machine as well as that the patented apparatus must employ several multiaxial linear drives which contribute to the cost and bulk of such apparatus.
European patent No. 0 744 363 A2 discloses an apparatus which is designed to remove sheets, panels, mats or analogous partitions separating superimposed layers of blanks which are utilized in connection with the making of so-called hinged-lid cigarette packs. The partition-removing implement includes a gripping device which carries suction-operated pads for successive partitions and presser elements for stacked U-shaped blanks of the type used in so-called hinged-lid cigarette packs, and is movable by a linkage to transfer successive partitions from their horizontal planes at the bobbin stacking station into vertical planes within a suitable collecting receptacle.
An object of the present invention is to provide a simple, compact and relatively inexpensive but highly reliable apparatus for transporting and simultaneously changing the orientation of successive bobbins containing convoluted webs during transport between a stacking station and the receiver of a web processing or consuming machine.
Another object of the invention is to provide a web manipulating apparatus whose efficiency is superior to that of presently known apparatus and which can be utilized for the manipulation of all or practically all presently known types or sizes of bobbins for storage of convoluted webs or strips of paper or the like.
A further object of the instant invention is to provide an apparatus which can accept and process many or all presently knwn and awailable bobbins for storage of convoluted wrapping or packing material for cigarettes, cigarette packs, filter rod sections and the like.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved method of reducing the joint space requirements of a web consuming machine (such as a machine for making rod-shaped smokers"" products) and a magazine for temporary storage of stacked bobbins.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved bobbin lifting and reorienting assembly for use in the above outlined apparatus.
A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method which can be practiced to supply bobbins or reels for storage of convoluted webs of sheet-like wrapping material to existing cigarette making, cigarette packing, cigarette pack cartoning, cigarette pack sealing and/or other machines which are utilized in the tobacco processing industry and/or in other fields.
Another object of the invention is to provide a versatile apparatus which is capable of manipulating fresh bobbins and spent bobbins as well as other commodities such as partitions which are interposed between superimposed layers of fresh bobbins.
One feature of the present invention resides in the provision of an apparatus for transferring discrete bobbins (especially fresh bobbins) of the type wherein a web of flexible sheet material is convoluted around the external surface of a hollow core further having an internal surface which is coaxial with the external surface of the core. The transfer is to be carried out from a stack of superimposed layers of bobbins having a first orientation to a receiver whereon a bobbin has a different second orientation. The layers of the stack are or can be separated from each other by sheet- or mat-like partitions of paper, plastic material or the like. The improved apparatus comprises a first gripper having first jaws receivable in the core of a bobbin and means for moving the jaws relative to the axis of the bobbin into and from engagement with the internal surface of such core, a second gripper having second jaws movable to positions adjacent the external surface of a core and means for moving the second jaws into and from engagement with the external surface of such core, suction-operated lifting means for attracting a partition upon removal of a layer of fresh bobbins from the stack, means for moving the grippers and the lifting means between the stack and the receiver, and means for changing the orientation of the grippers.
The webs can consist of a wrapping material for smokers"" products.
The orientation changing means can include means for pivoting the grippers, and preferably also the lifting means, through an angle of 90xc2x0 or at least close to 90xc2x0.
As a rule, or at least in many instances, the axes of the fresh bobbins in the stack are at least substantially vertical and the axis of a fresh or expiring or expired (exhausted) bobbin on the receiver is at least substantially horizontal.
At least one of the grippers can comprise an array of at least three at least substantially equidistant jaws or claws.
The arrangement is or can be such that the first jaws are movable at least substantially radially of the axis of a core into engagement with the internal surface of such core at the stack (i.e., of a core forming part of a fresh bobbin) and from engagement with the internal surface of a core at the receiver (i.e., of a core forming part or constituting the remnant of an expired or exhausted bobbin). Such apparatus can further comprise a substantially plate-like pusher and means (e.g., a fluid-operated cylinder and piston unit) for moving the pusher relative to the first jaws at least substantially axially of the core being engaged by the first jaws while the respective core is being transported from the stack to the receiver. The arrangement is or can be such that the first jaws are movable into the interior of the core of a bobbin at the stack through a predetermined distance and the pusher is movable relative to the first jaws through a second distance which matches or approximates the first distance. The partition-lifting means is or can be movable with the pusher, and the second jaws are borne or can be mounted on the pusher. In accordance with a presently preferred embodiment, the second jaws are movable against the external surface of the core forming part of an exhausted or expired bobbin at the receiver by moving substantially radially of such external surface, and away from the core of an exhausted bobbin at a location which is or which can be remote from the receiver as well as from the stack and which can serve as a dump for exhausted bobbins.
The receiver is or can be associated with or can form part of a cigarette packing machine, of a cigarette making machine, of a tipping (filter cigarette making) machine, of a filter rod making machine or of any other machine which consumes or processes convoluted webs of paper, foil or the like.
The apparatus can comprise a common mobile support or carrier for the grippers and for the lifting means.
Another feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a method of manipulating bobbins of the type including a hollow core having coaxial internal and external surfaces and a web of convoluted sheet material surrounding the external surface of the core. The improved method comprises the steps of establishing a stack of a plurality of superimposed at least substantially horizontal layers of fresh bobbins wherein the bobbins have at least substantially vertical axes and wherein the superimposed layers are separated from each other by at least substantially horizontal sheet- or mat-like partitions, gripping the internal surfaces of cores at the stack and transferring the thus gripped cores (i.e., the respective fresh bobbins) from the stack to a web processing station (e.g., to the horizontal stub-like receiver of a cigarette making, packing or other machine), changing the orientation of the axes of the bobbins from at least substantially vertical to at least substantially horizontal during transfer from the stack to the processing station, gripping the external surface of the core of an expired or exhausted bobbin at the processing station and removing such core from the station, and lifting a partition off the stack upon completed transfer of a layer of bobbins from the stack to the processing station.
The method can further comprise the step of changing the orientation of the partition (e.g., from at least substantially horizontal to vertical or substantially vertical) upon lifting of the partition off the stack of fresh bobbins.
The gripping steps are or can be carried out by sets or arrays of equidistant jaws or claws, and the movements of jaws which carry out the transfer of fresh bobbins from the stack to the processing station can be shared by grippers which carry out the aforementioned removing step.
The method can further comprise the step of converting the webs of bobbins at the processing station into discrete wrappers of smokers"" products.
Still further, the method can comprise the step of transferring lifted partitions from the stack into a suitable collecting receptacle; such transfer can involve a change of orientation of lifted partitions on their way toward or at the collecting receptacle.
The method can further comprise the step of supporting the core of the fresh, expiring or exhausted bobbin at the processing station from within.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The improved apparatus itself, however, both as to its construction and the modes of assembling, installing and utilizing the same, together with numerous additional important and advantageous features and attributes thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of the following detailed description of certain presently preferred specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.